The above information can only be considered a brief introduction to 

 the subject of color systems. Fuller discussions may be found in Itten, 

 1961; Minnaert, 1954; Munsell, 1941; and Sargent, 1964. 



Color Variation in Home-Dyed Textiles 



Even the most methodical home dyer will find that it is practically 

 impossible to duplicate the colors of textiles dyed with natural dyestuffs. 

 The dye material itself makes variation the rule since so many factors 

 influence the growth and development of vegetable materials. The subject 

 is far too broad to be explored in detail here, however, the causes of color 

 variation in natural dyes are worth mentioning. They include differences 

 in growing conditions, the area in which the plants are grown, climatic 

 conditions, and quality of soil. Different members of plant families may 

 contain varying amounts and qualities of dye principles. Usually the 

 greatest quantity of dye is extracted from plants when they are ready to 

 mature, although timing would differ with each plant. Often flowers can 

 be used fresh or dried, but even the manner in which they are dried could 

 affect the quality of dye extracted. 



Aside from care in selecting and handling the plants, one key to successful 

 dyeing is a supply of soft water. Writers of early 19th-century dyebooks 

 never failed to mention this point. There are very few dyestuffs that work 

 most effectively in hard water; where hard water is needed, chemicals 

 can be added to harden the water. Although the calcium, magnesium, 

 and iron salts and other minerals which make water hard may not change 

 color radically, they can cause spotting and irregular distribution of dyes 

 in textiles. 



Since mordants are discussed more fully in a later section, it is only 

 necessary to mention here that the mordant used often affects the hue as 

 well as colorfastness of the dyed textile. A notable illustration is that of 

 cochineal-dyed wool. White wool becomes purple when dyed with 

 cochineal mordanted with chrome. It takes on a red hue when mordanted 

 with a tin compound The same mordants will produce very slight differ- 

 ences in hue or intensity when combined with other dyestuffs. Each dye 

 recipe specifies the mordant needed to obtain stated colors. If you decide 

 to experiment with mordants, remember that the primary purpose of a 

 mordant is to unite dyestuffs to fibers. A beautiful color achieved by 

 combining a dye with an incompatible mordant will result in a color that 

 may fade soon after washing or exposure to sunlight, or it may adversely 

 affect the wool's texture or wearing qualities. 



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